Yoenis Cespedes

RotoWire News: Cespedes (hamstring) said he has attempted to improve his flexibility in the offseason by doing yoga, increasing his running and reducing his weight-lifting routine, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports."[Cespedes] has had a great offseason -- a lot more running he has done than in the past," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. "Everybody identified that he needed that and he has gone to yoga classes for flexibility and he wants to play every day." (2/19/2018)

Profile: In almost any other year, Yoenis Cespedes would have been a straightforward Rookie of the Year winner. His line of 23 home runs, 70 runs, 82 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and a .282 batting average describes a clear five-category contributor. If it weren't for Mike Trout being an alien, Cespedes would get some much deserved attention and praise. His power, bat speed, and overall speed have translated extremely well from the Cuban League to the MLB. The outlook for 2013 is as bright for him as it is for anyone. A season where he goes for 30 home runs, 90 runs, 100 RBIs, 20 SB, and a .300 average isn't unfathomable, as long as his health holds. Grab Cespedes sooner rather than later — he won't be there later. (David Wiers)

The Quick Opinion: A Rookie by any other year would still be just as sweet as Cespedes. Big expectations were met — and then some — by rookie sensation Yoenis Cespedes.

Profile: Yoenis Cespedes hit .292/.356/.505 with 23 home runs and 16 stolen bases over 129 games in his "rookie" campaign. There was more than one prognosticator that hinted at the possibility of a 30-30 season for 2013, and his draft position as well as price reflected that in drafts. His results were underwhelming. He hit a good deal of home runs with 26, but his plate discipline and strikeout rate suggested that pitchers discovered a better approach with Cespedes. He finished with a disappointing .240/.294/.442 slash line with 74 runs, 80 RBI, and just seven steals, good for a weighted on-base average of .318, putting him just barely north of Michael Saunders and just south of Jon Jay. He did incur several nicks throughout the season, starting with a thumb injury in April and finishing with a balky shoulder throughout September. An optimist might say that if healthy, he could be a good bounce-back candidate, but looking at his batted ball and plate discipline data gives me pause. He still comes with the name recognition that is going to drive up his price, and you might be better off leaving his issues for another manager. Steamer and Oliver projection systems think a little rebound is in order, but probably not enough to substantiate what it will cost to secure his services. (Michael Barr)

The Quick Opinion: Yoenis Cespedes followed up a great rookie campaign with a clunker. His .240/.294/.442 slash line wasn't anywhere near what most owners were banking on for 2013, and although he did suffer through several injuries throughout the year, he seemed to regress in just about every measurable way from 2012. He's a good bounce-back candidate, but he won't by just a late flier -- you'll have to pay for the Cespedes pedigree. You're either a believer or you're not.

Profile: Yoenis Cespedes was about as advertised in 2014, amassing 22 home runs and 100 RBI while slashing .260/.301/.450 over 152 games. A surprising deadline trade in 2014 sent Cespedes from the Oakland Athletics to the Boston Red Sox, finishing his season with a dip in power and patience. Now a member of the Detroit Tigers, Cespedes will ostensibly hit behind the likes of Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera, which ought to provide oodles of RBI opportunity. It's worth noting that Cespedes isn't a spring chicken anymore at 29 years of age, although this is also his walk season, assuming the Tigers can't entice him to sign an extension prior to the end of the year. There is considerable upside and risk with a player like Cespedes who swings at a lot of bad pitches, but also might see some regression off that career low 9.6% home run per fly ball rate. It's probably best to assume something in the realm of .265/.315/.450 with 22 HR and 85 RBI, and just cross your fingers you get more and not less. (Michael Barr)

The Quick Opinion: Home run distance was an issue in 2014 for Yoenis Cespedes, and that might be an even bigger problem headed to Detroit. But in a walk year, hitting in a formidable lineup, it should be another productive season for the Cuban slugger -- although because of the marquee name, you'll no doubt have to pay up for his services. Just keep your expectations reasonable.

Profile: Yoenis Cespedes was a very good player from the moment he first took the field for the Athletics in 2012, but after three years of similar production, he became an MVP candidate in 2015. Strangely, Cespedes’ walk rate continued its three-year decline to 4.9 percent last season, and his 20.9 percent strikeout rate was right at his career average. The breakout was the result of two things. First, Cespedes saw a 31-point jump in his batting average, fueled entirely by a 30-point jump in his batting average on balls in play. Second, and more importantly, Cespedes enjoyed a huge power surge. After topping out previously at 26 home runs in 2013, he hit 35 last season. At 30 years old, Cespedes’ improved power came a bit later than it does for a typical player, but his numbers show they were the result of improvements in his quality of contact that could be sustainable. Compared to his previous three seasons, Cespedes decreased his soft contact percentage and increased his hard contact percentage by about four percent each. That manifested itself in an 18.6 percent home run per flyball rate, also about four percent higher than his previous career average. None of those numbers are unusual for exceptional power hitters. After a top-10 finish among outfielders last season, I think it is fair to draft Cespedes at the end or just outside of the top 10 this season.

The Quick Opinion: After three very good years, Yoenis Cespedes became an exceptional player in 2015 thanks primarily to an increase in his power. Driven by improved contact quality, that breakout appears sustainable. It’s fair to assume another 30-home run season from Cespedes in 2016 and draft him in the top 40 overall.

Profile: Yoenis Cespedes had another spectacular season with the Mets in 2016. On first glance his numbers may seem to have decreased from 2015 to 2016, but keep in mind he played much of 2016 suffering from numerous nagging leg injuries. Injuries that limited his ability to both accelerate and slide, thus decreasing his ability to not only steal but also take extra bases when given the opportunity. These injuries also lead to a brief stay on the Disabled List. When healthy, Cespedes put up numbers on par with his tremendous second half with the Mets in 2015. His walk rate in 2016 reached a career high 9.4%, and his strikeout rate fell to 19.9%. His patience at the plate has developed far past where it was a few short seasons ago, without any loss in batting average or power. In fact, his power production has steadily climbed along with it. Over the past two seasons, according to Statcast, Cespedes has hit the ball harder than just about everyone in baseball, placing him 11th in major league baseball among qualified batters. With health, you should see an uptick in stolen bases and runs scored for Cespedes while his power production remains steadily in the upper echelon of the sport. (Andrew Perpetua)

The Quick Opinion: Cespedes has established himself as one of the elite power hitting outfielders, and a steady top 40 position player. Don't allow the few minor nagging injuries fool you, Cespedes still deserves to be picked somewhere in the top 50 overall.

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